Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev

The Most Reverend Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev
Bishop of Sofia-Plovdiv
Native name	Георги Иванов Йовчев
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Diocese	Sofia-Plovdiv
See	Sofia-Plovdiv
Appointed	13 November 1995
Retired	16 July 2025
Predecessor	Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov
Previous post(s)	Titular Bishop of Lamphua (1988-95) Apostolic Administrator of Sofia-Plovdiv (1988-95)
Orders
Ordination	9 May 1976 by Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov
Consecration	31 July 1988 by Francesco Colasuonno
Personal details
Born	Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev (1950-05-06) 6 May 1950 Sekirovo, Rakovski, Bulgaria

Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev (Bulgarian: Георги Иванов Йовчев) (born 6 May 1950, in Sekirovo, a part of the town of Rakovski, Bulgaria) is the current Bulgarian Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv.

Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev was educated at Professional School of Agriculture in Belozem where he studied internal combustion engines. His military service was in Sofia. Because of the Communist regime, he secretly prepared for the priesthood, being parish priest in Plovdiv, Rakovski, Kaloyanovo, Duvanlii and Zhitnitsa.

On 9 May 1976, Jovcev was ordained Catholic priest by Bishop Bogdan Dobranov. He studied theology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, Italy.

On 6 July 1988, Jovcev became Apostolic Administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv and Titular Bishop of Lamphua. On 31 July 1988, he was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Francesco Colasuonno, Bishop Samuel Dzhundrin, AA and Exarch Methodius Stratiev, AA at Cathedral of St Louis, Plovdiv.

On 13 November 1995, he was appointed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv. Jovcev is a member of the Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria. In the Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria is the chairman of various committees, including Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Tip for Families, Council for Secular Parties and Council Catechism.

In the spring of 2025, in connection with his 75th anniversary, Bishop Yovchev submitted his resignation as diocesan bishop. On July 16 of the same year, the Pope accepted his resignation and on the same day a thanksgiving liturgy was celebrated in the Cathedral of St. Ludwig in Plovdiv, attended by Bishops Petko Valov, Strahil Kavalenov, Rumen Stanev and Christo Proykov, as well as priests from the diocese.^[1]

Jovcev was awarded with the Grand Cross of the Order pro merito Melitensi, from the Order of Malta, on 19 June 2009 in the city of Rakovski, Bulgaria.^[2]

In 2012, Bishop Jovcev was charged that in 1987 he was recruited by the Bulgarian secret service. Jovcev called all these accusations as slander.^[3]

• http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bjovcev.html